Balotelli orders life-sized statue of himself

Mario Balotelli has added to his reputation for the extreme by commissioning a life-sized statue of himself to be made for his home in Brescia.

Balotelli, 22, returned to Italy in January to play for AC Milan after a turbulent spell with Manchester City and has made quite an impression with four goals in his first three games for his new club.

However, the Italian striker wants to make a different impression on guests to his home and, according to Il Giornale di Brescia he has asked local artist Livio Scarpella to 'immortalise' him in a statue.

"I have received the commission, but I've never met Balotelli so I am working from photos," Scarpella told the paper. "I presented several drawings but Mario wanted to be immortalised in a pose that shows him having scored a goal, highlighting his muscles and with an expression of defiance.

"I have imagined him as an athlete from ancient times and the statue will be a mix of classical and pop style in platinum and coloured bronze with the eyes made of stones."

Italian media reports have speculated that the pose which Balotelli wants is the one he showcased after scoring against Germany in the Euro 2012 semi-final - one of the highlights of his often wayward career to date.